Folding box locking structure



June 16, 1953 s. P T-r 2,642,218

FOLDING BOX LOCKING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 16,1948 2 shqets -sheet 1 050b, Moi Au *P FMZ- H rr-amvE v;

June 16, 1953 s; PLATT 2,642,218

FOLDING BOX LOCKING STRUCTURE Filed Feb. 16, 1948 2 Sheets-Shegt 2INVENTOR.

Smvz/EL PLHrr BY Patented June 16, 1953 FOLDING BOX LOCKING STRUCTURESamuel Platt, San Francisco, Calif. Application February 16, 1948,Serial No. 8,499

3 Claims. (o1.229 31") This invention relates to folding boxes gen-'erally of the typeclisclosed in my copending apv plication Se'rialNo. 59 2,2l7,-filed May 5, 1945, now abandoned, in which the bottom, sidewalls and front wall are integralwith the side walls and front wallfoldable to positions at right angles to the said bottom. 7

One of the objects of said invention is the provision of improved meansin a box ofthe above typefor releasably-holding the front wall fromoutfolding when it is in a position closing the front side of the box,and which means is independent of a top for said box.

Another'object of the invention is the provision of improved means in afolding box to I facilitate the folding of such box from a blank ofcardboard.

' Heretofore boxes as described in my said copending application havebeen used widely in bakeries for holding pastry products of variouskinds. In such boxes, the cover for the box functions to hold the frontside of the box closed, said cover including an extension that eitheroverlies the outer side of the front wall so it will hold the front'wallfrom outfolding when 'a string is tied around the box extending over thetop, bottom and front wall, or else such extension isinserted betweenthe front wall and folded corner pieces that are at the front corners ofthe box, thus holdingthe front wall closed independently of a string.Where such boxes are used for holding cakes, the cake is readily removedby merely raising the cover and as soon as this is-done, the front sideof the box'will automatically outfold to a position coplanar with thebottom wall. The cake is then easily slipped out of the box through theopen front side of the box without injury thereto.

In many bakeries the boxes as described above are also used for holdingcookies or a plurality of smallcakes or the like, and in such instancesit'is desirable that the front side wall stay closed while thecookiesare being packed in the box and while the cover is open. -In otherwords, the advantages of the construction whereby thefront side can bereadily lowered where the box is used for cakes but which box can alsobe held inset-up form for cookies is highly desirable and is madepossible by this'invention' in a simple manner that requires nomorematerial than heretofore and that is set up in substantially thesame manner.

Other objects and advantages will be obvious from the description anddrawings.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a blank from which the box. is formed.

Fig. 2 is aperspective view of the boxready for receiving a cake or thelike and before the front wall is folded to close the front side of thebox.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing the frontwall of the box in a position closing the front side thereof and'withthe locking tabs thereon in a position for locking the'front sideclosed.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view illustrating thepositions of the locking tabs, front wall and a recess in each side wallrelative to the left .hand of the operator. The right hand would be in asimilar position at the right front corner of the box but is omitted forlack of room.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 ofFig. 3 but with the cover closed-and with the locking tab on the frontwall in locking position.

- In detail the invention as illustrated in the drawings comprises ablank creased along parallel spaced lines I, 2 (Fig. 1) and creasedalong spaced lines3, l, 5, Bthat extend at right angles ,to lines lyfand that intersect the latter.

The area, between lines L12, 3 and G defines a rectangle that forms thetopof the box. Line 3 is adjacent one end of the blank and along theside of line 3 -oppositethe' top wall 1 is astr'ip 8 that is adapted toform a flap adaptedto be alongside the upper marginal portion of thefront wall of the box when the box is formed.

outwardly of lines I, 2 relative to top wall 1 are sections 9, it thatare adapted to overlie the two opposite lateral sides of the box whenthe latter is formed.

The area between lines I, 2 and 4,5 is adapted to form the'rear wall Hof the box while tabs l2, l3 outwardly of the lines I, 2 at the ends ofwall H comprise conventional locking tabs that are adapted to beinserted into slits formed in the lateral sides of the box,- as willlater be described.

The area between lines I 2 and 5, 6 substantiallycorresponds withthe'top wall I and forms the bottom wall IA of the box.

The two opposite lateral sides of the box are rectangular sections l5,86 that are along lines l, 2 outwardly of bottom wall It and these havethe slits respectively formed therein for receiving the tabs I2, is forholding the rear wall I I and side walls I 5 together in a position atright angles to eachother and to bottom wall l4.

The front wall IQ of the box is at the opposite end of the blank fromthe flap or strip 8 and is a rectangular section along line 6 andoutwardly of the bottom wall l4.

Corner pieces 20, 2 the front wall l9, which corner pieces are with theside walls l5, l6 and with the front wall [9. These corner pieces are inthe form of coplanar right angle strips, one side 22 of each stripextending transversely of the length of each of the side walls l5, It attheir ends adjacent the ends of front wall l9 and outwardly of line 6.Side 23 of each angle strip extends transversely of the length of thefront wall I9 at the opposite ends of said front wall outwardly of linesI, 2. A diagonal crease line 24 extends across each angle strip from theintersection of lines I, 6 2, 6.

The folding of the box is readily accomplished by first folding up theside walls l5, l6 and corner pieces 2B, 21 along lines I, 2 and thenfolding up the rear wall l l and slipping the tabs l2, l3 through slitsl'l. Then the box assumes the form seen in Fig. 2.

If the box is to be used for a cake in the manner shown in my saidcopending application, the corner pieces 28, 2| are pressed inwardlytoward each other and the front wall is swung upwardly until its endedges are along the end edges of the sides l5, IS. The cover I is thenswung downwardly over the cake and the strip 8 is folded down to extendbetween the infolded corner pieces 20 and front wall I9, thus lockingthe front wall closed. The sections 9, it) are then folded I areprovided at the ends of down to overlie the outer sides of side wallsl5, It.

A cord is usually then tied around the box.

When the top is raised to remove the cake, the front side isautomatically released and will move back to the position shown in Fig.2 or substantially to said position. The cake may then be slipped out ofthe open front of the box.

In order to secure the front wall in closed position independently ofthe cover, substantially circular tabs 30 are partially stamped from theside walls l5, l6 fairly close to the upper edges of said side walls andclosely alongside crease line 6. These remain connected with the sidewalls for a distance along said line and preferably remain tacked in theopenings 3| formed by stamping said tabs therefrom at one or more points43. However, the tabs are easily broken from the side walls at saidpoints. A relatively short neck 33 may constitute the securement betweeneach tab 39 and the side wall and which neck is sufiiciently strong andwide to prevent accidental tearing of the tab from the side walls.

The tabs 30 are bendable toward each other and into the box when theconnecting parts 32 are broken.

The front wall l9 also carries substantially circular tabs 35 that arestamped out of the sides 23 of angle strips 20 and which tabs are tackedor secured in the openings 36 in said sides 23 at one or more points 44in the same manner as tabs 30 are secured in openings 3|. A neck 38connects one side of each tab with the end wall 28 along each of thecreases I, 2. The necks 38 are slightly longer than necks 33 on tabs 30.

When the tabs 35 are broken from the corner pieces at points 31 and areoutfolded to the positions seen in Fig. 3, they are adapted to be swungthrough the openings 3| in side walls l5, l6 by the fingers 42 (Fig. 4)of the hands of the operator. Tabs 30 will readily break at points 32 tomove inwardly into the box with the tabs 35.

and lines integral 7 The tabs 30, 35 will then be in overlyingrelationship (Fig. 5) and against the corner pieces 20. Tabs 35 cannotbe withdrawn from the openings 3i except by positively swinging themback through the latter.

The operation of swinging the front side wall to vertical position bythe thumbs of the operators hands, as indicated in Fig. 4, isaccomplished by providing a recess 40 in the upper edg s of the sidewalls 16. These recesses are near the ends of the front wall and enablethe operator to maintain a grip on the box at its front corners throughpositioning the forefingers M (Fig. 4) of the hands in said recesses,respectively, while the thumbs are used to swing the front side to aposition closing the front of the box and while one of the other fingers42 push the tabs 38, 35 inwardly into the box to locking position.

The positioning of the tabs 35 adjacent the upper edges of the frontwall l9 and the correspondingly elevated position of the openings 3|insure adequate strength in the tabs for holding the front wall againstunfolding inasmuch as a minimum amount of force is required for thispurpose at a point or points remote from the crease line B that is atthe juncture between the front wall and the bottom wall.

Also the shape of the tabs materially contributes to the accomplishmentof the desired results. No intricate threading of tabs through slits isrequired, but the tabs are merely swung straight through openings 31into the box. Thereafter the tabs will not pull out of the openingsunless positively swung therethrough in the reverse direction, whichwould not occur unless such intentional force were applied.

With certain cardboard, it has been found desirable to slit the tabs 30,35 as indicated at 32, 3'! respectively to facilitate the passage of thetabs through the openings.

I claim:

1. In a rectangular cardboard box-having a bottom wall, a front and rearwall and opposed lateral side walls integral therewith, corner piecesextending from the adjacent ends of said side and front walls andconnecting said side and front walls, folding creases formed along theedges of said box and across said corner pieces for unfolding said frontwall and corner pieces to a position in which said front wall iscoplanar with said bottom wall and in which said corner pieces arerespectively coplanar with the side wall connected thereto, the cornerpiece at each end of said front wall being folded on itself andprojecting into said box when said rront wall is in a position formingthe front side of said box, and tabs respectively connected with saidcorner pieces and with said front wall folded into said box inengagement with each other for holding said front wall in said positionforming said front side of said box, and openings formed in said sidewalls through which the tabs that are on said front walls extend.

2. In a rectangular cardboard box having a bottom wall, a front and rearwall and opposed lateral side walls integral therewith, corner piecesextending from the adjacent ends of said side and front walls andconnecting said side and front walls, folding creases formed along theedges of said box and across said corner pieces for unfolding said frontwall and corner pieces to a position in which said front wall iscoplanar with said bottom wall and in which said corner pieces arerespectively coplanar with the side wall connected thereto, the cornerpiece at each end of said front wall being folded on itself andprojecting into said box when said front wall is in a position formingthe front side of said box, and tabs respectively connected with saidcorner pieces and with said front wall folded into said box inengagement with each other for holding said front wall in said positionforming said front side of said box, and openings formed in said sidewalls through which the tabs that are on said front walls extend, thetabs on said front wall being stampedfrom said corner pieces and thetabs on said corner pieces being stamped from said side walls.

3. In a rectangular cardboard box having a bottom wall, a front and rearwall and opposed.

lateral side walls integral therewith, corner pieces extending from theadjacent ends of said side and front walls and connecting said side andfront walls, folding creases formed along the edges of said box andacross said corner pieces for unfolding said front wall and cornerpieces to a position in which said front wall is coplanar with saidbottom wall and in which said corner pieces are respectively coplanarwith the side wall connected thereto, the corner piece at each end ofsaid front wall being folded on itself and projecting into said box whensaid front 7 wall is in a position forming the front side of said box,and tabs respectively connected with said corner pieces and with saidfront wall folded intosaid box in engagement with each other for holdingsaid front wall in said position forming said front side of said box,and openings formed in said side walls through which the tabs that arein said front walls extend, the tabs on said front wall being stampedfrom said corner pieces, and the tabs on said corner pieces beingstampedfrom said side walls to provide said openings'in said side walls.

SAMUEL PLATI.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSNumber I Name Date 1,736,874 Bellin Nov. 26, 1929 1,765,964 Berton June24, 1930 1,790,676 Potter Feb. 3, 1931 2,174,179 OBrien Sept. 26, 19392,189,151 vPlatt Feb. 6, 194 0 Fortunate Dec. 13, 1949

